Kenneth Nelson Hanks

Kenneth Nelson Hanks passed away while fishing the Northfork, Thursday, June 22, 2023.

“Papa Ken,” as his grandchildren called him, and “Uncle Fun” that family and friends knew him as, was born in May 1937 in Southwick to Wilmer Hanks and Nadine (McCoy) Hanks. He was one of six brothers.

Ken lived on the family farm in Southwick and attended the Southwick School. He learned to play the piano and would ride the family plow horse to visit his older brothers that were working at the Forest Service Fire Tower miles east of the town. While he lived in Southwick, Ken would walk 10 miles to Kendrick to swim in the city pool, though it is said that he and his brothers would be picked up by a local farmer or even the postman to get there. They would ride home with their dad, Wilmer, who at that time worked at the hardware store in Kendrick.

The family moved to Lewiston in 1951 where Ken graduated from Lewiston High School. He played the piano in a band while in high school. He married soon after and had two boys, Kerry and Kevin.

Ken joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Texas, France, New York, Colorado and Hawaii. Ken was an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) specialist which was one of the most challenging and stressful schools to complete in the military. In 1968, Ken participated in the recovery and cleanup of the Thule accident, where a B-52 aircraft crashed with four nuclear bombs onboard near Thule Air Base in Greenland. Daughter Catherine joined the family during his military time. After 21 years of service, Ken retired from the Air Force with the rank of Master Sergeant while stationed in Hawaii.

During “retirement” Ken owned a liquor store and a canoe business in Steelville, Mo., where he enjoyed fishing on the Meramec River. He managed four condo complexes in Naples, Fla., where he enjoyed fishing in the Gulf of New Mexico. He managed a llama farm just outside of Lewiston near Waha and he always fished the local rivers. Later, he spent many years outside of Billings, Mont., on a 10-acre farm. Where he raised horses, cows and a few barn cats before moving back to Lewiston (Sweetwater) three years ago.

During all of this, Ken’s love for camping and fishing would always bring him back to camp the Northfork in the mountains past Pierce. For over 30-plus years, he and his nephew, Grant, “Dick” as he was known, would take their yearly excursion to the Northfork to camp and fish for weeks at a time. This was his great love, to be outdoors.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilmer and Nadine; and his five brothers, Carl, Darrell, Edwin, Vernon and Marvin Hanks; and his son Kerry Hanks.

Survivors include son, Kevin Hanks and his wife, Veronica, daughter, Catherine Diaz and husband Eric Diaz. He is also survived by his grandchildren, granddaughter Ravyn and Dusty Schmidt; granddaughter Victoria and Bobby King; granddaughter Brandie Zundel, and three great-grandchildren; as well as numerous nephews, nieces and cousins all around the country.

Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home of Lewiston is in charge of the arrangements.